Prophecy Child

Tom was clinging to Harry almost as desperately as Harry was clinging to him.

Harry had called him ‘daddy.’

Harry had spoken out loud.

Right now, though, Harry had his face firmly tucked in Tom’s shoulder, little hands like vice grips, knuckles white.

Tom tried to adjust his weight, and the poor child clung tighter.

‘It’s alright, Harry. I have you. Just need to lift you a bit higher so I can climb these stairs. I won’t put you down, it’s alright.’ Tom said soothingly, looking at Lucius with a hint of panic.

‘Let’s head up to Harry’s room, my Lord.’ Lucius said quietly.

Harry’s body trembled as Tom carried him, still holding tight as they climbed several sets of stairs until they reached Harry’s room. Tom stepped inside and headed for the bed.

‘It’s very late, Harry. Time for bed. I’ll sta-‘ Tom cut himself off abruptly when Harry’s body began to shake hard, head thrashing side to side and hands tugging at his robes hard enough Tom was beginning to worry they might tear.

‘Woah, Harry, you’re alright! I’m here, it’s okay! Take a breath, lov- Harry.’ Tom’s cheek flushed red at his almost-slip.

Harry let go with one hand, trying to sign. ‘No no no bed no no sorry sorry bad no no no!’

Tom pulled the boy closer. ‘Harry, you’re safe here. Look at me, Harry. You are safe.’ Tom pulled his head back, trying to catch the shaking child’s eye. Very carefully, he reached his mind out towards Harry’s, who shuddered but held still, like he knew exactly what Tom was doing.

Tom’s tension eased a little at what he saw, but he was still angry. ‘Harry, my lo- ahem. That was very wrong, Harry. Nobody should spell you to sleep, especially just to get you out of the way. I most certainly will not be doing that. It is late, and I thought you might be tired, but it seems you have done quite a lot of sleeping these past days?’

Harry nodded, face tucked back into Tom’s shoulder.

‘Let’s go to my study instead. I need to talk with my… friends, but you can stay with me.’

‘No bed Harry Tom?’

‘No, you don’t have to go to bed. You can stay with me.’ Tom confirmed, and Harry’s shaking subsided to a tremble.

Tom turned and saw Lucius standing in the doorway, a furious expression on his face.

‘Not yet, Lucius. In my study. Send for the others. Severus too, if he can get away safely.’

Tom took his seat behind his large desk, shuffling Harry more comfortably in his lap as the boy curled up and kept his face hidden in Tom’s neck.

‘Harry, I need to have a very serious conversation with my friends, and I’m worried it will be difficult for you to hear. I am going to cast a spell – hush now, not like what those nasty people did. I am going to cast a spell that makes you unable to understand what we are saying. You can still hear us, you will be awake, and I will not let go of you. Can we try it for a few seconds, so you know how it feels? Let’s try for 5 seconds, then I’ll end the spell, okay?’

 Harry took a long time to respond, but finally he gave a slight nod.

Tom murmured under his breath, then leaned back to catch Harry’s eye. ‘Can you understand what I’m saying?’ he asked.

Harry’s brow furrowed.

Tom murmured the counterspell and smiled. ‘Does it sound like silly nonsense?’

Harry’s lip twitched, and he let his head rest against Tom’s chest again, nodding once.

‘Once everyone is here, I’m going to cast the spell again, alright Harry? If you want it to stop, or if you want to say something, you can just tap me on the arm, and I’ll end it, okay?’

Harry gave another single nod, shuffling slightly. He’d found a position where he could hear Tom’s heartbeat. He pressed his ear against Tom’s chest, tapping a finger in time with the steady rhythm.

Barty and Lucius entered, taking their seats quietly to avoid disturbing Harry.

‘Severus should be here soon.’ Lucius said quietly. ‘I thought it might be better to leave Carrick out of this conversation.’

Tom nodded, and the three men waited quietly.

‘What’s he doing?’ asked Barty after a while. ‘The tapping?’

Tom glanced down with a slight smile. ‘Listening to my heartbeat.’

Harry gave a short nod, not stopping his steady rhythm.

‘Apologies,’ huffed Severus as he strode in, before stopping briefly, eyes landing on Harry. The boy tensed at his voice, then turned slightly to look at Severus with a question in his eyes.

Before Tom could begin casting the spell to block Harry’s understanding of the no doubt difficult conversation to come, Severus strode across the room and dropped to a knee in front of Harry.

‘Harry, you have my most heartfelt apology. I am sorry I did not act immediately, but I felt it was too dangerous. I called for Tom as soon as I found out you were in the house, and I had to wait for him before we could get you out. I am truly sorry, Harry, for what they were doing to you.’

Harry’s eyes brimmed with tears, but he held them back. ‘Severus good boy no bad Harry ouch Severus good.’

Severus took a minute to comprehend. ‘You’re not mad at me? Even though you were hurt and I didn’t help? Is that what you mean?’

Harry nodded, reaching a cautious hand out to lay it on Severus’ arm, a question in his eyes. When Severus didn’t respond, he tapped gently. When Severus still just looked at him blankly, Harry furrowed his brow in concentration and reached his glow out to wrap around Severus’ arm.

Severus gasped. ‘Harry…’ 

‘What is it?’ Tom asked urgently.

‘He’s using his magic to heal my arm.’ Severus said, staring in shock at the small boy curled in his Lord’s lap.

‘What happened to your arm?’ asked Lucius.

‘I broke it myself as a diversion to throw those fools off, make them think I was caught by surprise too.’

‘You weren’t?’ asked Barty, a hint of teasing in his voice.

‘I called for our Lord, then when you arrived and began trying to pull down the wards, Lord Black came to me and asked if he should let you in.’

‘I had wondered why the wards suddenly dropped. We were preparing for ambush inside.’ Tom said, understanding dawning. ‘You say he let us in deliberately?’

Severus hesitated, not sure what to say in front of Harry, lest the boy become distressed.

Tom caught his hesitance immediately. ‘Harry, I’m going to cast the spell again now, if that’s alright? Just give me a tap if you want it to stop, okay?’

Harry lifted his hands. ‘Bad (crazy-hair) Harry ouch bad no no no. Severus good boy Tom good boy something good boy something Harry.’

Tom blinked. ‘What is this?’ he asked, scrubbing his hands through his hair like Harry had done.

Severus huffed a laugh. ‘James Potter, I believe.’

Harry shrugged.

‘The man with black, messy hair and glasses? His name is James Potter. He is your biological father.’

Harry shook his head, tapping Tom’s chest and making a sign nobody recognised.

After a beat, Tom cleared his throat. ‘Harry…’ he broke off, not sure what to say next. ‘I’m going to cast the spell now, are you ready?’ Tom’s voice wavered, but Harry didn’t seem to mind, nodding.

‘Can you understand me, Harry?’

Harry didn’t react, going back to tapping Tom’s heartbeat, ear pressed to Tom’s chest.

Tom’s eyes were distant as he looked down at the boy in his lap.

Lucius cleared his throat. ‘As apparently the only person not in the thick of things while retrieving Harry, can we start from the beginning? I feel rather lost.’

Severus and Barty agreed easily, but Tom seemed to take a moment to comprehend, before he nodded in acquiescence.

‘Right. Firstly, Harry was taken by an Imperiused Collings and somehow delivered to Dumbledore.’

A round of nods.

‘Then, we find Potter manor near Luton and mount an attack, but they get away and take Harry before anyone can get to him.’

More nodding.

‘Nothing for nearly three days, then suddenly Severus alerts the Dark Lord through his Mark, to come to his side immediately.’

Severus nodded, brushing a finger over his Mark subconsciously.

‘You all arrive outside the wards of – where?’

‘Sirius Black’s house in London.’

‘Sirius Black’s house in London?’ Lucius repeats in surprise. ‘Okay. You all arrive and start trying to pull down the wards. Then suddenly the wards drop, and… what?’

Tom still looked a little… dazed, so Severus continued.

‘Let’s back up a little. Harry was in the Black house for some unknown amount of time. I do not know if they took him straight there, or if they moved around to avoid being found. At some point, though, they arrived at Black’s residence and hid the boy there. I arrived for a meeting called by Dumbledore and was alerted to the boy’s presence in the house. I could not begin searching immediately, lest I blow my cover, but I needn’t have worried. I entered the kitchen and found James Potter trying to cast some sort of Imperius type spell on the boy to make him speak.’

Outraged gasps filled the room, Barty swearing a colourful streak.

‘The child was trying to resist – and doing an admirable job. He will surely be exceedingly powerful when he is older. There was a large number of people present, no doubt so Dumbledore could parade his little prize around.’ Severus’ voice was a low growl, and he closed his eyes momentarily to calm himself. ‘Sirius came up beside me and alerted me that people were outside trying to pull down the wards. I believe his words were along the lines of, ‘I’m of a mind to let them in and end this fuckery’. Tom apparated inside, grabbed Harry, our men Stunned just about everybody, and then disappeared quickly. Dumbledore arrived after it was all over, and Black did a surprisingly good job of interrupting any questioning or detection spells, so Dumbledore should have minimal useful information to go off. He stopped me for a ‘chat’, but I was able to hold back anything important. I pretended you’d called me, my Lord. I will have to return and give him a report soon.’

Tom was still staring at the child in his lap with a strange expression.

‘My Lord?’ prompted Lucius.

‘He called me daddy.’ Tom said, voice unsteady and rough. ‘I apparated inside, and he turned around and called me daddy.’

Severus gave a slow nod. ‘Potter was trying to force him to say ‘hi dad’. Likely the boy was able to resist more effectively, because he did not believe Potter to be his father. When he saw you, my Lord… I believe the resistance was less, because he sees you… as a father.’

Harry pulled his head back, looking up at Tom with concern. He tapped Tom’s arm, a request to end the spell. Tom mumbled under his breath, and Harry lifted his hands.

‘Tom ouch?’ he asked.

Tom blinked. Harry tapped his finger against Tom’s chest, then sped up his pace, tapping faster and faster.

‘Could you feel Tom’s heart racing, Harry?’ Lucius asked quietly. Harry nodded.

‘I’m alright.’ Tom croaked, then flushed, clearing his throat. ‘I’m okay, Harry.’

‘Tom something good good good.’

‘What does this sign mean, Harry?’ Barty asked, copying him. ‘Is it father?’

Harry nodded, and Tom sucked in a breath.

‘Oh.’